The Distance
by TheLoverOfBooks
Summary: Wisdom's daughter walks alone... what could that possibly mean for Annabeth? What would happen in the next few weeks, and how would her involvement affect everyone's lives?   Post SoN. Not really a reunion fic. Oneshot. Bad at descriptions.. xD. PERCABETH


(A/N): Hey guys! I haven't uploaded anything in a while, and I really wanted to write this and so I did. :D Anyway, I'll probably post a few more things over the next few weeks. I've realized some of my old stories are... well, terrible. I was younger when I wrote them and had absolutely no sense of vocabulary or grammar. Scrapping those... xD. Anyhow, this is a short story taking place on the day that the Argo II landed. I didn't include the reunion and I sort of wanted to do a take on that, it might be in an AU to this story or I'll post one in this story-verse and add it as a second chapter. Otherwise, this will probably be a oneshot. (: Anyhow, a bit long, but onwards! Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns everything Percy Jackson related. I own nothing.

_I hear you crying and I_ _know, _

_what it's like to be alone. _

_You're scared, _

_and I'm not there._

-The Distance by Hot Chelle Rae.

Annabeth felt comfortable, settled against him, his arm circled gently around her waist. It was odd, having him back after so long, and she took comfort in the feel of him against her. It had been a long six months, and there were times when Annabeth was ready to just give up in exasperation… though she could never, seeing as it was Percy on the line. They sat in a loose circle, Percy and Annabeth catching up with Hazel and Frank, Leo, Jason and Piper. It still struck her as odd, these two different groups of demigods talking with the same mission and as if they'd known each other for ages.

She realized then that they would be together for a while, now, whether they liked it or not, since they were all part of the seven who were destined to "save the world." Her stomach tightened at this thought. It wasn't as if she hadn't done it before, because she had. She had fought off so many monsters in her lifetime she couldn't keep track. She knew she could do it again, to some degree, but the prophecy with its misleading principles still messed with her head._ To storm or fire the world must fall_. That sounded rather unpleasant, but it didn't bother her as much as the beginning of one she'd most recently heard: _Wisdom's daughter walks alone._ Her stomach churned at the implications of that line. It could mean so many different things, but only one was clear to her: she wasn't going to have help with this, and she might lose people on her way.

_Percy_. She closed her eyes for a second. She had already been without him for months. If he died, or left her, or something… Annabeth's head spun with the possibilities. Of course, the prophecy didn't have to be about her… it could be about any child, really, but the fact that it mentioned Athena and not Minerva, and being that she was the only Athena child inside of New Rome at the moment kind of told everyone that it was she the prophecy was referring to. She stiffened, glancing about the circle. Everyone was still talking, laughing. She had been listening mostly, contributing once in a while when she had a suggestion or object, however in all honesty she felt as if she didn't belong there. It wasn't yet determined if she was in the seven or not, and she mainly felt out of place.

Her mind was churning, and suddenly she felt the need to get away, at least for a moment. Sitting up straighter, she announced calmly that she was going to find a restroom and walked away easily. It seemed too simple, everyone looking lighthearted and happy, and only Percy's eyes followed her as she left. She didn't have to use the bathroom, but she needed somewhere to think, away from everyone. She felt the panic bubbling up inside of her and she bit her lip, trying to quell it. She located the bathroom and went in for appearance's sake, splashing her face with some water before she looked in the mirror, grimacing slightly. She looked tired, and her hair was its usually curly mess that would never look particularly neat.

Annabeth sighed, running her fingers through it carelessly, still feeling her disconcertion from before. She couldn't lose Percy again; she didn't think she could face this alone. Exiting the bathroom promptly, she sat on a bench just outside, pulling her knees to her chest and attempting to calm her nerves so she could get back to the group. She didn't want them to think she was pooping or something, and she forced a chuckle at that thought. Futile thoughts continued to run through her head and she tried to steady her breathing. She was not going to freak out right now, she was okay and everything was going to be fine, maybe. She gripped the seat of the bench firmly, willing herself to calm down. In one minute she was going to get up, she was going to calmly walk back to where Percy was, where everyone else was.

What if they weren't there anymore? What if Percy wasn't there anymore, and he disappeared again like he had six months ago? Nausea washed over her and she bit her lip. She was stoic; she shouldn't be acting so stupid. Her head flipped to the side, hearing the sound of something moving towards her. Her hand fluttered instinctively towards her sheath where her dagger should have been, had it not been taken from her. She knew there was no immediate danger; however, but she prayed it wasn't Leo or Jason or someone else. They couldn't see her like this, it was too embarrassing.

It was Percy, she realized, and he was walking towards her and became clearer as he approached. Relief coursed through her veins... he she could handle, he she needed. She tried to calm her breathing once again, to no avail, and groaned internally in frustration. Percy sat down on the bench beside her and she knew he was watching her carefully. They sat there for a moment in silence, she refusing to meet his gaze.

"Hey," he stated, inching closer to her cautiously. "What's up?" he sounded uncomfortable, and she couldn't say she blamed him. She took a shaky breath, gathering up her wits.

"I'm sorry," she murmured after a few moments. "I look dumb, I know, and I don't want you to see me l-like this." Annabeth stuttered, drawing in a shaky breath. "I was just thinking a lot, and so much has been happening in the past few months, and all these prophecies are crazy and…" she faltered before meeting his gaze through her now watery eyes.

"I c-can't lose you again, Percy," she whispered before looking away, a tear spilling over the brim of her eye that she wiped away quickly. "Nothing can ever be concrete, can it?" she mused, wiping her eyes with the bottoms of her palms. She felt strong arms wrap around her, she folded into Percy. "I'm scared," she admitted, almost inaudibly, and she let herself go.

"We'll be alright, Annabeth," he said uncertainly, a pained look on his face. His brow scrunched up like it always did when he was concerned, and Annabeth had to stop herself from smiling at the normality of it, the way it screamed Percy. Her head rested on his shoulder and she felt her breathing level out, her short burst of tears clearing up gradually.

"I'll be here the whole time, supporting you. I promise," she flinched at his choice of words… promises had never gone over well in Annabeth's life. Percy looked away from her, thinking of what Hera had said to him. He still hadn't told Annabeth, and he definitely wasn't going to right now. _You're wrong, Hera,_ he said to her inadvertently. _She's perfect, and I would stay with her no matter what_. His arms tightened around the daughter of Athena and he planted a light kiss on her forehead. She blushed, chuckling slightly. They sat together for a while, and she took comfort there, breathing in his scent. He smelled of regularity, of Percy, and it gave her hope that maybe things would be alright. She took his hand and he squeezed it lightly.

"Shall we get back?" he asked her, and she nodded, allowing him to pull her up off of the bench with him. They began making their way back to the picnic location, walking hand in hand. Annabeth felt more secure, somehow, with Percy by her side. She was going to face whatever life threw at her and take it without objection. Everything was okay, for the moment. They were nearly back when Percy stopped them.

"Wait," he said, the hint of a smirk emerging on his face. Annabeth looked at him curiously and suddenly he was kissing her, pulling her toward him in one quick motion. He pulled away quickly, and she smiled, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

"Really, Percy? We're supposed to be getting back. They're going to be wondering what happened to us by now," Annabeth stated rationally, and Percy just grinned.

"Who says we have to go back?" Percy asked deviously, his responsibility failing him as watched her expression. "We could go anywhere we want. Technically, I'm praetor, so I can't get in that much trouble for it, either. We don't need to talk with them this second. I know what went on over here, you know what went on back home while I was gone. Let's consider ourselves informed and ditch this place," he suggested, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, Percy, it might be better…" Annabeth considered this for a moment but Percy grabbed her arm impatiently, tugging her in the direction of the city. He babbled on about everything they could do at the moment, what he needed to show her, and finally she grinned, stopping in her place. "Fine, I'll go with you. Just…" she didn't continue, but stretched up on her tip-toes and kissed him once again, in a spur of the moment furor. Her smile forced her to pull away; however, and she grabbed Percy's arm, willing him to lead her to where they were going before. "I missed you, Seaweed Brain," she stated lightly, a smile on her face.

"Missed you too, Wise Girl."

_And so it goes..._

_the distance makes it hard to breathe. _

_My heart won't let go easily. _

_I don't want to be this far away._

(A/N): I hope you enjoyed it! By the way, the song I used at the beginning and end is The Distance by Hot Chelle Rae. I don't really like them so much, their generic songs like Tonight Tonight annoy me, but this song is beautiful and nothing like them! :D Anyway, please, constructive criticism is GREATLY appreciated. As a student I can always use improvement in my writing. I'd love to hear your feedback in a review. :D Should I do a reunion fic? Still debating. Thanks for reading, though, and have a wonderful day!


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